Patio Herbs, Spices, Peppers, and Tomatoes – Part 1, by MonkeyMan

Introduction

This is a collection of thoughts encompassing the last twenty years of slowly growing our patio garden of useful plants for our location northeast of Houston, Texas. We are located in Zone 9 that has long hot and humid summers, with maybe, a night or two each year below freezing. We sometimes cover or protect the pots or plants from freezing temperatures. Maybe the solar minimum will change all that, I don’t know. As all SurvivalBlog readers do, I will continually adapt and modify my approach for my location. I do not claim expertise on any of the topics below and the opinions are my opinions, not right or wrong, just opinions. We all know everyone has one.

Some of the plants are heirloom variety and we maintain seeds, cuttings, and roots to keep that variety going. Some are from the big box store and are used mainly for large quantities of produce; peppers, for example, seem to provide huge quantities from one small purchased plant, sometimes for multiple years. I hope to eventually replace all the non-heirloom with self-sustaining varieties. It seems to me that the heirloom varieties are more susceptible to pests and require greater care and produce less produce. Produce less produce, I like that!

We have a large food dehydrator, 15 x 15 inches with 9 trays. It sits on top of an upright freezer inside the house. I do not turn it on; I just place the plants and whatnot on the trays and let them dry naturally. It works very well with the AC going in the summer months and the cool lower humidity days in the winter months. The harvest is protected and the dried plants retain the color, and hopefully, the nutritional value of the live plants. We call it The Dryer.Continue reading“Patio Herbs, Spices, Peppers, and Tomatoes – Part 1, by MonkeyMan”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on conservative Republican wins in the Idaho State Senate primary races. (See the Idaho section.)

Region-Wide

Douglas, Josephine Counties reject Greater Idaho proposal, Klamath gets on board. JWR’s Comments: Clearly, Douglas and Josephine counties have too many ex-Californian residents. The inevitable partition of Oregon will most likely see a line drawn between the state’s Wet Side and Dry Side. I was heartened to see Klamath County voters approve the planned partition. A large number of eastern counties have already voted for approval. I’m confident that many of the other Oregon rural counties will follow their example.

o  o  o

When is the Inland Northwest going to warm up?

o  o  o

Inland NW Race, Ride, & Event Guide 2022.

Idaho

Here are the returns from last week’s election: May 17, 2022 Idaho Election Results. JWR’s Comments: There was little headway in gaining against the entrenched RINOs in Idaho’s House of Representatives, and RINO Governor Brad Little was re-elected. But there were ate least seven wins in the Senate: Scott Herndon beat Sen. Jim Woodward, former Rep. Codi Galloway defeated Sen. Fred Martin, and Old Guard Senator Jim Patrick may have been defeated by genuine conservative Glenneda Zuiderveld — possibly by a margin of just 38 votes! (There will probably be a recount of those ballots.) Anti-tax crusader Phil Hart took an open seat, Ben Toews beat Tara Malek, and Chris Trakel defeated Greg Chaney. Assuming that these Republicans will prevail in the general election the Idaho State Senate will become even more solidly conservative and will be able to block any Democrat or RINO-sponsored big government legislation. Hooray!

o  o  o

Over at the Idaho Freedom Foundation web site: Conservatives came out on top in May 2022 primary election. Here is a quote:

“…people don’t realize what a monumentally successful night conservatives had in Idaho’s primary election on Tuesday. This one was one for the record books, and it could help usher in a new chapter in Idaho’s political history.

The Idaho Senate, commonly known for the last several years as “the place where conservative legislation goes to die,” will thankfully be a very different place in 2023. As many as a dozen conservative legislators will take their seats in the 35-member chamber following the results of the May Republican Primary.”

o  o  o

Tom in Alaska sent this: Horowitz: Idaho conservatives poised to remake legislature like never before.

o  o  o

Five-term Idaho attorney general loses in GOP primary battle.

o  o  o

A great essay describing Idaho culture, by Jeremy Egerer: What the Blue-State Left-Coasters Don’t Understand about Culture.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Preparedness Notes for Monday — May 23, 2022

May 23 is the birthday of George Lars Kellgren (born 1943 in Borås, Sweden), the founder and chief engineer of Kel-Tec. According to LeftistAgendaPedia: He designed many firearms earlier for Husqvarna and Swedish Interdynamics AB in Sweden. He moved to the US in 1979 and his original US designs were for Intratec and Grendel brand firearms. He founded Kel-Tec in 1991.

On this day in 1934 the outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed by a pair of deputized former Texas Rangers and assorted local police, near Gibbsland, Louisiana.

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Today’s feature article is a review written by our Field Gear Editor Emeritus, the venerable Pat Cascio.

Wellco Military Boots, by Pat Cascio

One of the absolute best pieces of kit you can purchase is quality footwear that you can afford to buy. If you’re seriously into preparedness, and have any plans on bugging out – especially on-foot, then you need some really outstanding boots. I’m very particular when it comes to my footwear. I have been for most of life. I refuse to buy cheap Chinese-made knock-off boots. I don’t buy at the ten buck shoe store, nor any of the big or small box stores. While mainland China boots and shoes might look good, you’ll find out in very short order that they are junk – so you are wasting your money.

When our youngest daughter decided to join the US Army, out of college, we flat out told her that, it wasn’t “right” for her, but she joined just the same, and we were proud of her. She became a Combat Medic after basic training. When she first went into the military, they issued her everything she needed, including combat boots. Sadly, as in often the case, they didn’t take care when fitting her for boots. One pair was about half a size too small, and the other pair were literally two sizes too big – all the complaining in the world didn’t change anything. After completing Basic Combat Training (BCT), she went to her Advanced Individual Training (AIT) school ro become a Combat Medic, There, they had a lot of latitude on footwear. We mailed her a pair of Blackhawk desert tan combat boots and she loved them to death.

Sadly, here in the USA, you don’t usually find Blackhawk combat boots in smaller women’s sizes. And when we attempted to get her a second pair, they replied that they were out of stock for 6-12 weeks. We sent her a similar pair of boots, but they were not nearly as well-made as the Blackhawk boots were. She “made do”!Continue reading“Wellco Military Boots, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Mediterranean Chicken & Potatoes

The following recipe for Mediterranean Chicken & Potatoes is from reader Linda T. She notes:  “This has a nice lemony flavor. You’ll need an oven, a baking sheet with deep lip, and a garlic press.”

Ingredients
  • 3 lemons
  • 6 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
  • ⅓ cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 3½- to 4-lb. whole chicken, cut into 6 to 8 pieces
  • 1 pound of smallish red potatoes, quartered
  • 1 large red onion, cut into ½-in. wedges
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 pound Broccoli crowns, trimmed
  • 1 teaspoon )or less) of freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
  2. Squeeze juice from 2 lemons to equal ⅓ cup; add to a large bowl.
  3. Cut remaining lemon into wedges and add to bowl along with garlic, oregano, and ⅓ cup oil.
  4. Add chicken, spooning marinade over chicken; let sit for about 15 minutes.
  5. Toss together potatoes, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl. Transfer to a large baking sheet with a lip.
  6. Roast until just beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Toss together the broccoli and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl.
  8. Transfer to baking sheet with potatoes and toss to combine.
  9. With a fork or tongs, arrange the chicken mixture on a baking sheet in a single layer. (Just discard the marinade.)
  10. Season with pepper and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt.
  11. Bake until chicken is cooked through and Broccolini is browned, about 30 minutes.
SERVING

This recipe serves six adults. Serve with a vegetable side dish.

STORAGE

Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 36 hours.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the recent wild swings in the U.S. stock markets. (See the Equities section.)

Precious Metals:

U.S. dollar will keep gold price under pressure – VanEcK’s Foster and Casanova.

o  o  o

Market crash to last until 2024; Gold to hit $900 before a rebound – Harry Dent.

Economy & Finance:

Biden’s burdens grow: Sagging global economy adds to U.S. woes.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Market Rout Extends With Futures Tumbling To Verge Of Bear Market.

o  o  o

Credit Bubble Bulletin – Doug Nolan (McAlvany Intelbrief.)

o  o  o

Treasuries Start New Norm Between Inflation And Recession Fears.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 22, 2022

The War of the Roses began on May 22, 1455. From History.com’s description: “In the opening battle of England’s War of the Roses, the Yorkists defeat King Henry VI’s Lancastrian forces at St. Albans, 20 miles northwest of London. Many Lancastrian nobles perished, including Edmund Beaufort, the duke of Somerset, and the king was forced to submit to the rule of his cousin, Richard of York. The dynastic struggle between the House of York, whose badge was a white rose, and the House of Lancaster, later associated with a red rose, would stretch on for 30 years.

Both families, closely related, claimed the throne through descent from the sons of Edward III, the king of England from 1327 to 1377. The first Lancastrian king was Henry IV in 1399, and rebellion and lawlessness were rife during his reign. His son, Henry V, was more successful and won major victories in the Hundred Years War against France. His son and successor, Henry VI, had few kingly qualities and lost most of the French land his father had conquered. At home, chaos prevailed and lords with private armies challenged Henry VI’s authority. At times, his ambitious queen, Margaret of Anjou, effectively controlled the crown.”

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May 22, 1859 is also the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. He died in 1930.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

Review: Carson Mini Aura NV-200 Compact Night Vision, by J.M.

Most readers of SurvivalBlog.com understand the advantage that having night vision optics can provide in an emergency or disaster situation. The ability to observe, move and evade in the darkness can provide a significant benefit, especially if you’re trying to find or avoid people that don’t have it. Night vision can make the difference in being able to safely find your way to your objective without advertising your position with a flashlight. Unfortunately, most night vision solutions are typically both expensive and bulky, making it difficult for most people to carry one with them as part of their everyday carry (EDC) or include them in their Get Home Bags (GHB), which means they may not have the capability if something goes belly-up when they’re away from home. Just like a firearm, the best night vision device is the one you have with you when you need it.

Before we get into the actual review it’s important to understand the basics of how night vision works. There are basically three ways a device can allow you to see when there’s little or no light available – light amplification, thermal or infrared. Light amplification works by amplifying any available light many times to provide an image and is typically characterized by the green-tinted images Hollywood loves so much. Thermal works by capturing and displaying the long-infrared range of radiation that everything emits to display differences in temperature, and infrared is similar to thermal except that it captures and displays shorter wavelength infrared radiation (850nm/940nm) as light.

Light amplification and thermal night vision devices tend to be at the larger and more expensive end of the night vision device spectrum; infrared devices tend to be much less expensive and more widely available, and they typically require some sort of infrared light source to work most effectively. Note that the human eye can’t easily detect most infrared radiation, so the light source isn’t visible to people without a night vision device.

The Carson MiniAura Digital Night Vision Monocular (NV-200) is a low-cost and ultra-compact infrared type of night vision device. It is palm-size. Like most digital night vision devices it utilizes a digital imaging sensor and lens at the front to capture infrared light and a small LCD screen in the back to display what it captures to the user; it also has an infrared illuminator to provide a light source.Continue reading“Review: Carson Mini Aura NV-200 Compact Night Vision, by J.M.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

To share this, you can find it here:  https://www.kapwing.com/videos/6284ee2fdbc65c18d146527c

Meme Text:

After Chiding Conservatives for Using Ivermectin, Last Year, Liberals Are Now Championing Veterinary Drugs For Chemical Abortion

So, Who Is The Horse’s Rear End?

News Link:

Suddenly the radical Left LOVES veterinary drugs: VICE now pushing DIY abortion pills made from stomach ulcer drug used in animals.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,

Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – Matthew 28:10-20 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 21, 2022

May 21st is the birthday of weapons designer John Douglas Pedersen. (Born 1881, died 1951.) His name is almost synonymous with the short-lived Pedersen Device (pictured) — a conversion kit that turned a Model 1903 Springfield bolt action rifle into a pistol caliber semi-automatic “trench broom.”

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 100 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A LogOX 3-in-1 Forestry MultiTool (a $189 value) and a WoodOx Sling (a $79.95 value), courtesy of LogOx, both made in USA.
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 100 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging

 

Lifesaving Tourniquets, by A.P.

OBJECTIVE

In this article, I will explain the life-saving benefits of the proper application of tourniquets, selection, placement.  I hope to clear up some myths about tourniquets, and explain the actions that need to happen after applying a tourniquet. Along the way, I will introduce some medical terminology to better communicate and to impress your friends.

Anyone can apply a tourniquet. While you do not need any official or special medical certification or training, you do need to understand how to properly use one.

This article, while informative, is no substitute for hands-on training and practice.

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

My wife and I started prepping in the late 1990s. In 2011, we made the decision to bug out of the big city and moved to an 850-acre ranch in Colorado. The Good Lord has blessed us financially and we have been able to raise and educate our children at home. I have been fortunate to be able to work from home as a software engineer even before telecommuting became popular.

Since moving to this remote area, we have focused on increasing our skills. I have learned welding, gunsmithing, locksmithing, fiberoptic telecommunications, solar energy production, amateur radio, various ranch-related construction, and most recently, I have been working towards my emergency medical responder (EMR) certificate.

The EMR certification is the first level of certification within the emergency medical response system. It is a step below emergency medical technician (EMT) and well below that of paramedic. The training, however, is invaluable. Our local volunteer fire district has sponsored this training for their firefighters and have graciously offered the training to the community at no cost. You should check with your local fire department to see what training might be available for you at little or no cost.Continue reading“Lifesaving Tourniquets, by A.P.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’ll start out with my recently-visited Radio.Garden stations, which this week by chance were heavy on Celtic music:

  • Sescot Radio, Dunbar, Scotland
  • Scotlander Radio, Inverness, Scotland
  • Dunoon Community Radio, Dunoon, Scotland
  • Dales Radio, Hawes, England
  • Little Flock Radio, Jedburgh, England
  • Celtic Rock, Konstanz, Germany
  • Irish Pub Radio, Dublin, Ireland
  • Radio Zurisee, Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland

(Note: Radio.Garden has been glitchy with recent releases of Firefox, but it works well with the Opera browser.)

This past week, I did some hay and straw hauling. I also cut some firewood and then did the requisite slash hauling. I now have two slash piles established to burn this fall that are both presently about 12 feet in diameter and eight feet tall. More to come!

On Monday, I made a rush trip to town, to help an Elk Creek Company customer. He was selling me back a Finnish SAKO Mosin-Nagant M39 rifle that he had bought in January of 2021. I was happy to buy it back from him at just over his 2021 retail cost. He said that he needed cash “right away”, so I went to the post office, inspected the newly-arrived rifle, and then immediately sent him a couple of USPS money orders — via Express Mail. One nice thing about guns is that they are fairly liquid investments! And yes, I am willing to buy back most pre-1899 Elk Creek Company guns with FRNs, if the condition of the gun hasn’t changed.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”